His deposition posted to March 6

The prosecution had relied upon him to establish the alleged link between the gang that killed the Revolutionary Marxist Party leader and a section of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders. Chandrasekharan was hacked to death by a gang on May 4, 2012.

Mr. Sreedharan told the Special Additional District and Sessions Court (Marad Cases) that the examination of T.K. Sumesh, 26, aka Kochakkalan Sumesh, the 16th prosecution witness, should be deferred as he failed to acknowledge the summons served on him. The police had to paste the summons on the door of his house at Chokli in Kannur district.

Special judge R. Narayana Pisharadi then posted his deposition to March 6.

During the trial in the afternoon, defence counsels insisted that Sumesh be examined. Mr. Sreedharan said he was not prepared to act on their diktats.

Sumesh, who was present on the court premises, had given a statement under Section 164 (recording of confessions and statement by a magistrate) of the Code of Criminal Procedure on the alleged role of M.C. Anoop (first accused); Kodi Suni (third); K.K. Mohammed Shafi (fifth); K.C. Ramachandran, member of the Kunnummakkara local committee of the CPI(M) (eighth); and P.K. Kunhanandan, member of the Panur area committee (13th) in the case. Previously, the witness had given a statement to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kozhikode, that Anoop, Suni and Mohammed Shafi had made preparations in Suni’s quarters in Mahe for killing Chandrasekharan.

Suni had called him asking to switch on television on May 4 midnight to confirm the death of Chandrasekharan. Sumesh had spoken about the alleged relationship between Anoop and Kunhanandan. He had seen the accused travelling in a Toyota Innova van (KL-58 D-8144).

Sumesh is a neighbour of Suni and co-accused in the killing of the Bharatiya Janata Party workers K. Vijith and K.V. Shinoj in New Mahe in May 2010.